Learning Languages Essay

There are about 7,000 languages in the world today. In America, there are 350 languages alone. However, only about 25% of Americans can speak a language other than english. Despite the majority of Americans being monolingual, 43% of the nation believes it is important to learn a second language. Being bilingual has many benefits for the future. Knowledge of foreign languages can expand career potentials, help improve one's native language, and can aid opportunities to travel and experience new culture. Learning a foreign language is one of the most beneficial experiences for people in the future.

My language is a reflection of my personal identity, culture, the peer groups I associate with, my family and my life experiences.

Despite the difficulties of learning in a second language, being bilingual has provided me with a unique perspective. I am able to communicate with people who have vastly different perspectives than my own. Being a part of two cultures helps me understand

There have been many policies and legal battles when it comes to English Language Learners. For every policy, then will inevitably be a case to challenge it, as it is difficult to define what is truly equitable for every ELL student. Programs for English Language Learners (ELLs) have struggled to get the needed recognition and support from school district offices of our public schools. One piece of legislation that was passed to help end the inequality of education for these students was the Equal Education Opportunity Act or EEOA. The EEOA mandated that all students that are identified as an English Language Learner are to receive individual English only instruction. This is a good start to offering the right kind of instruction that is needed for students who are struggling to learn a second language.

Being bilingual will not only help you communicate with others but also give you many different opportunities. Being bilingual is just not about speaking another language but also learning the culture that comes with it. From the new language you will learn about other traditions, music, food, and overall the way others speak and express themselves. Another thing you can acquire from being bilingual is the chance of getting a better job and develop professionally better. Studies also show that bilinguals express themselves better and that it’s better to start learning a second language at an early age. There is doubts about teaching a children a second language because some people believe that if they teach them a second language at an early age it can cause confusion in the child, and they will end up not being able to learn either one correctly. This information has not yet been proven what studies have shown is the complete opposite which is that a bilingual person has a higher possibility of being successful than a monolingual.

Bilingualism makes you more open-minded and sensitive to others. You learn two languages. Most of the time, inflection on certain words and the way you say them may hurt or cause pain, rather than soothe and make happy. Social studies say that bilinguals have an enhanced awareness of other people’s points of view. They learn from early on in their learning of another language that some people take things differently.

Learning foreign languages is one of my passions. I grew up understanding how to speak the Iraqi dialect of Arabic from

The depth of my cultural understanding is accumulated with the diverse norms and beliefs surrounding my country. I was born in Merced, California, a city full of culturally mixed ethnicities and traditions. My family taught me to embrace my cultural background as early as the years of my infancy. My parents believed that the sole route to input my nation’s traditions into my soon diverse mind was to teach me my nation’s primary language. Punjabi became my first and only language during the years of my early childhood. The challenges that exceeded after it became an important aspect that endorsed motivation and determination in my life. My first step in Kindergarten showed my parents that enrooting only one culture would not suffice in any nation. The language barrier between me and the other students enriched characteristics of timidness and shyness. The other students feared my cultural distinction and left me to play alone. Though this experience was difficult, it taught my parents and I to extend our culturally nativities and accept the divergent societies in America. Eventually, English became my primary language as the years of middle school taught me to adapt to the language. An accent had left my English language but impacted my Punjabi language as

Learning any language can always be tricky depending on how you’re taught. Sofia created a video showing that learning a language at a young age is an effective way to become fluent. Sofia started the video by introducing us to her family and expressing to us that she comes from a cultural family who's primary language is Spanish. She also showed us how she and her brothers learned English in various ways that fit each of their needs. As the video came to a close she showed the effectiveness of these specific learning habits they were introduced to, which lead to there fluency in the English language.

Although the above factors can greatly hinder an ELL student’s success in the classroom, some argue there are other compelling issues that could contribute to ELLs in special education classrooms. One argument suggests that some districts place ELL students in special educations because support systems once in place for ELL students have been removed. Consider that at one point in the past, there was a history of integrating bilingual languages into the general education classrooms in the U.S. regardless of where you lived. Wiley & Wright (2004), indicate that in these programs, districts provided ELL students with linguistic support in bilingual/general education classrooms. However, over time there has been more of an emphasis on resisting bilingual education and mainstreaming ELL students in general education classes (Wiley & Wright, 2004). Nevertheless, ELL students are not being supported and are left with little linguistic help in the classroom to acquire English. The consequences being they are expected to keep current with their native English speaking peers. This can have devastating effects on ELL students struggling to learn English as it can take up to 7-10 years to become proficient in English (Fernandez, 2013). It can be concluded that districts are responsible for removing the support systems within general education classrooms and, thus, creating more ELL students to be referred to special education classes.

Like any average person, I’ve accomplished many things in my life from learning how to walk to learning algebra in the eighth grade. However one of my greatest accomplishments has always been learning a new language. When I was eight years old, my family and I moved to the United States from Mexico. Naturally, I was very excited and eager to experience something new but because of the major differences, the move to a new country with a different language proved to be more difficult than I originally thought.

Not only does learning another language open the mind up to understanding cultures but it promotes personal growth and can even increase the speed at which important social skills are developed. Another advantage of bilingual education is that having already learned a second language, learning a third language becomes even easier. This concept just shows us further proof that learning two languages can open up the mind because if a student can learn three languages then they’re immersed in three cultures as well.

Although all the strategies help me further understand dual language learners, there are a couple that stand out. Let me start with strategy, planning 5. This strategy helped me to better understand that it is not only beneficial to pick a book that is related to the academic objective, but also a book that the children can relate to. When picking a book most teachers as well as I usually go for the books based on the academic objective. Which is great, but when you pick a book the children can relate to. It helps them to engage and participate more. It also helps with the discussion, because they are listening they can understand the story. therefore, eager to answer the questions when ask. Now when I choose a book to read I make sure it is relatable to the kids. One change I made when I’m doing my lesson plans, is picking the books I know the children’s like and relate to and see how I can fit them in the lesson plan.

In our everyday lives, the origin of our ability to communicate is usually not often taken into consideration. One doesn't think about how every person has, or rather had at one time, an innate ability to learn a language to total fluency without a conscious effort – a feat that is seen by the scientific community "as one of the many utterly unexplainable mysteries that beset us in our daily lives" (3).. Other such mysteries include our body's ability to pump blood and take in oxygen constantly seemingly without thought, and a new mother's ability to unconsciously raise her body temperature when her infant is placed on her chest. But a child's first language acquisition is different from these

Language is a key part of any family, community, culture and the human race. Without language the world today would be much different. From cavemen, to the Egyptian use of hieroglyphics, to Old English, to more than 6,500 languages spoken around the world today, the advances that humans have made in language is remarkable and inspiring. The ability to speak, read, write and understand more than one language is also remarkable and expands the liberties in life, especially for young people. High school students should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language class in order to graduate, as many recent studies support the benefits of doing so. Students who have learned a foreign language in high school have proven to have a